Comics Catch-Up

Saga continues! If you haven’t heard of this comic yet, where have you been? If you don’t mind a bit of drawn nudity and sex (it’s amazing what you can get a way with if you draw it) then do give it a go. The story is based on a couple from opposite sides of an intergalactic war, and they run away to protect their mixed-race child, Hazel. Hazel is the narrator which adds a certain charm to the comics. The seventh trade is just as good as the rest. I don’t want to give too much away but expect to have feels. Also, meerkat aliens!

This is supposedly a standalone instalment, but I think you need to be invested in the characters to get the most out of it. It is an enclosed story in the wider series arc but it will contain spoilers so is not the best place to start. And something happens in it that would leave you confused if you decided to skip it (why would you do that?).

The graphic novel format is an excellent way to introduce history. A prose heavy book on the civil rights movement is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, yet an hour sat down with John Lewis’s March will give you a basic introduction. The illustrations help to link the events with actual people, adding a more humanising element. I also liked hearing about John’s childhood on the chicken farm and his attachment to the flock.

My only gripe is that I wish this was a single edition. It’s been split into a trilogy (probably because it’s easier to get people to pay a tenner three times than to cough up £30 for a single book) and it’s not like it really has a conclusion. You are expected to read all three, which I am very likely to do, but I wanted to read it all in one go.

I finally started Ms Marvel and oh how brilliant she is. I knew I was going to like it when it opens with her sniffing bacon sandwiches (because obviously she can’t eat them). As well as her gaining powers (she wishes to be like Captain Marvel) the comic looks at what it’s like to be young Muslim woman growing up in America, with its clash of cultures.

It also pokes fun at superhero tropes. I’m not the biggest fan of superhero comics but I will definitely continue reading about Kamala Khan.